I think I got my love of antiques from my mother. She was always hunting for antiques. Our house was full of them.
The first and only time I ever heard my mother cuss it was over an antique. She was trying to make a tall table short, so she cut the legs off. While attempting to glue them back on the base, they kept slipping.
She said, “Damn.” Only it wasn’t just a staccato damn, it was a teeth gritting, seething, venomous, thunderous, “Daammnn!” Being the incredibly holy people we were, I was sure Jesus would appear and throw us both straight into hell. Mom for saying it, me for hearing it.
Alas! We both survived that awful day. The shortened antique table still lives.
This is the exciting Chic Antiques Market Christmas Kick-Off Weekend! What could be more fun than many people bringing their best antique items to display, especially when they are for sale?!
Since our Up North Flannels will be available at the market, we were @imlaycitygrainery today, helping with preparations.
I actually did help a little bit, but I also wandered around, taking lots of pictures in the old building, once the home of Gibbard Brothers Elevator. The market is located at 505 West Fourth Street, in Imlay City, Michigan.
I am really fascinated by this old elevator. I can just imagine farmers bringing loads of grain in during harvest. After weighing on the scale, the truck was driven onto the lift so the front wheels rested on the steel grate. The truck was lifted so the grain fell from the box into the hopper.
The new owners of the elevator have great plans for the days ahead. For now, the monthly market is the main activity. In the old office, there are still items left from the previous business. The chalk board has a hand-written list of items sold while the elevator was in operation. A skillful artist drew a nice farm scene for everyone to enjoy.
Only an old-timer like me would notice the phone numbers on the front of the phone book cover. Imlay City Oil Company, Phone 80. Martz Electric Company, Phone 203 R 2. Gibbard Brothers Elevator, Phone 65 R 2. Amazing.
The old stepstool is standing guard in front of the extremely heavy, rusted, but beautiful safe with the door wide open. With the decorative scroll around the frame, this safe was once a prize, even without the funds kept inside. I wonder how many kids could identify the little item with the hand crank.
Antiques never stop talking. They’re like ghosts that keep telling their story. This antique building is still alive. The only thing missing is the old rough hands that unloaded the grain, flipped the switches, and signed the receipts. Now, younger hands trade items that are cherished because of their history.
The heavy steel wheel was part of a belt drive system in the elevator. When I was a kid, many times I reached into a pop cooler and took an icy cold bottle of Squirt or Root Beer out of the water, popped the top off with the opener and listened to it drop into the container. My grandfather owned a gas station and had a cooler like this one. It was my job to empty the bottle opener.
It’s going to be a great weekend at the Chic Antiques Market. If you attend, make sure you stop and listen while you’re looking. The old elevator is still talking. All the items for sale still have a story to tell.
I had to include one more photo. This old dump truck was owned by the Gibbard Brothers Elevator, as you can see on the door. The owners hope to get the old truck running again. I hope I can help, even if it’s just wiping the dirt off the cab.
*Please note, the photos in this blog post DO NOT necessarily indicate items that are for sale. During the Chic Antiques Market, items that are available for purchase will be marked as such.
A Coffee State of Mind 